Vaccines protect you from diseases by preparing your immune system to fight them. A specific vaccine gives you immunity, temporary or permanent, to a specific disease. They don't just protect you; they protect everyone you come in contact with. If you can't get a disease, you can't spread it to others, including those who might not be able to get vaccines.
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Widespread vaccination has mostly eliminated deadly diseases like polio and measles, at least from the US. If people stop getting vaccinations, though, these diseases could very easily come back, as measles recently has in some areas of the US.
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Vaccination rates in the US are dropping, largely because of concerns about safety. These concerns are mostly unfounded, and based on misinformation. This is very dangerous, for those who refuse to get vaccinate themselves, children whose parents don't let them, and everyone they come in contact with, especially those who cannot get vaccines. There is always a risk of harm from vaccines, yes, but this is far, far outweighed by the much bigger risk of getting the disease and suffering its harm, and spreading it to others.
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